I'll Stop the World (And Melt With You)
by Overworkedunderwhelmed
Summary: Marinette never imagined she'd be back in the Museum again, but she could hardly turn down the opportunity to be committed to wax as herself. Not if she wanted to grab every opportunity as a future fashion designer. If she was very lucky, everything would go smoothly...but this was the only place in all of Paris where Tikki's luck truly eluded her.
1. I'll Stop the World (And Melt With You)

Author's Notes:

With apologies to Modern English for borrowing their song title for punny purposes!

Spoilers for Puppeteer 2.0!

Thanks to Kellarhi for the beta read!

* * *

Marinette nibbled at her lip, mulling the warm sticky wax that firmed up between her fingers.

Her last memories of Grévin Museum weren't the fondest. She never imagined she'd be back in here—not after last time—and her imagination was known to run wild on occasion.

But she could hardly turn down the opportunity to be committed to wax as herself. Not if she wanted to grab every opportunity to have the eye of the industry upon her once she'd be ready to grab her shot.

Of course, it would have been nice if they could have chosen another time, when they weren't already committing the whole of Paris's superheroes to wax.

It had come as a bit of a shock when the call to have her—as Marinette—come in. Yes, she had won a contest or two of Gabriel's, and had designed another album cover for Jagged—and, she supposed, she had been on that ill-fated reality show with him. Plus, the public thought she'd been dating Adrien for a time. But that still didn't explain why she was being honored with her own wax statue among the elite of Paris—not that she was going to argue. She would have been a fool to let the professional exposure slip away.

Marinette blew out a ragged breath.

Of course, dating Adrien was one accomplishment she didn't think she would ever achieve. Though Paris had believed they were romantically involved, Adrien had simply been struggling to reach out to his Father the day they had raced away from Paparazzi, hand in hand.

However, Adrien wasn't off the market just yet. Kagami had grown tired of waiting and moved on—surprisingly to Luka—though neither knew who one another was outside of the Ryuuko's and Viperion's masks. A superhero specific relationship…

Rena and Carapace were endlessly amused by it all, but Chat Noir seemed to be pouting that everyone was in a relationship except for him.

Conveniently forgetting that his own partner wasn't exactly dating anyone either...

She knew the feeling. It would have been nicer to answer Luka's confession herself before Kagami's lack of hesitation beat her to the literal punch. Now, she knew Luka was 'unofficially' off the table.

At least Chat Noir had managed to visit frequently in the evenings to fill up some of the lonelier times. She definitely had been spending too much time with him.

After pulling down all but one of her old posters of Adrien, she'd even invited him down into her room, and had been challenging him to go toe to toe with her in Ultimate Mecha Strike IV.

The least she could do was let him come inside so he could keep losing with his dignity intact before the rest of Paris.

Marinette chuckled fondly at the memories, waiting for the clock to chime so that she could release her hand from the mold the museum was making.

She had been dodging the personal casting of her statue, trying to put as much time as she could between her visits to prevent anyone from noticing any similarity between herself and her alter ego.

While this call to be immortalized in wax as her civilian self had been completely unexpected, it was also thoroughly inconvenient. Especially because it also happened to be the same week that the Heroes of Paris were due to be upgraded (with permission this time). The heroes couldn't allow themselves to be replicated entirely—the whole process was a bit lengthy after all. But they did schedule a sitting with the primary artist and photographer to capture their likeness as best as they could. The museum was updating the whole wing and in a rush to get the whole exhibit reopened to the public as quickly as possible, so there were plans to use stand-in models.

Ladybug herself had at least been well photographed so she asked that they use the footage on file for replicating her outfit.

But Chat Noir had grumbled about the inattention to the details on his costume. For months, she'd heard him complain that Ladybug definitely hadn't been paying attention enough… not if she hadn't spotted it.

She was curious enough about the work...to make sure that the quality was up to par—and to make sure that no one would be able to figure her out from her statue. As soon as her timer was up, she stretched and then headed to the main display area to see for herself.

* * *

Chat Noir walked in, just as cool as he pleased, leisurely strolling through the half darkened hall as Marinette was examining the detail of the currently displayed work.

She froze, awkwardly half leaning against a statue of Jagged Stone.

He noticed the hero hall first with most of the redone statues on display already. Everyone else had come and gone days ago, but Chat Noir had been the last to come in for his official measuring. Not that she was really sure why… his schedule had been open enough for him to come and visit her, after all...

"Two Ladybugs?" Chat Noir purred, the absolute joy in his voice melting the ice that had quieted the steady thrum of her veins. "No question—.I'm definitely in heaven this time."

She rolled her eyes as he slipped the baton from his holster to snag a selfie before strolling through the rest of the exhibit. She knew—without a doubt—that she would find a copy of it waiting on her yo-yo the next time she transformed.

She fought off the urge to nibble at her lip. As nice as it was that Chat's affections hadn't strayed, there was a reckless part of her that kind of hoped that Marinette meant a little something to him, too. It wasn't Ladybug who he had been spending nearly every evening with this week…

Marinette steadied her breath, hoping that her partner's silent rove of the halls would end and he would head upstairs.

But it seemed that this was the only place in all of Paris where Tikki's luck truly eluded her.

* * *

He had nearly missed her frozen form, but his eyes widened and he took a couple of backwards steps to stop beside her.

Of course, his eyes were unfairly sharp even in the dim light.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite princess! Fancy meeting you here."

It was a struggle to hold still… but it was far more challenging for her not to roll her eyes.

"Mind if I wax poetic for a bit?"

His grin was blinding, she was sure of it, but she didn't dare look.

"Shake your head if you mind…"

Her shoulders started to ache, but Marinette forced herself to keep still. Daring to blink only as Chat circled around her curiously.

Coming to quick halt before her, Chat Noir blinked guilelessly. "What was that?" He inclined his head ever closer, ears perking jauntily atop his head. "Sorry, I couldn't hear you…"

She felt her heart speed up the moment he escaped her peripheral vision. The clipped sound of his boots on tile echoed just slightly as he snuck behind her, but she could swear the boots would be more quiet than the sound his smirk would make as he surely rooted around in his mind for another pun.

"There must be a little extra wax in my ear..."

He had to be certain by now that she wasn't the real deal. When he'd dropped in to pass the patrol-free hours, she'd never let his awful puns go without grumbling or groaning. Or, when he was in particularly poor spirits, she would volley back with a poor pun of her own.

It wasn't entirely because of the gleeful little smile that curved his lips.

His pacing slowed, his breathing grew calmer and more evenly measured. He was sure that he could be a little more himself; not quite Adrien, not quite Chat, but the young man he was becoming who fell somewhere in between.

Marinette hadn't moved an inch despite his ceaseless provocation, certain if she carried on he would quickly give up and head home.

But there were whole Akuma battles that hadn't been this tough, though admittedly, the majority of those fights had been against Mr. Pigeon. Chat Noir finally circled back around to the corner of her vision, seeming to consider something, and his shoulders relaxed.

Everything in Marinette tensed as the urge for her to move resurfaced. She struggled not to move, not to blink—not even breathe, though the latter was getting a little easier for her by the second.

"I suppose this does feel rather silly, doesn't it?" he finally spoke.

With each passing moment, she sympathized more with every Akumatized victim Chat Noir had ever hunted down on her behalf.

Suddenly, he kissed her cheek, claws ever so carefully unmussing her hair. "I'm glad you've made your way here as well, my very dear friend."

He blinked in wide eyed confusion as he slowly drew his face away. "Huh."

"She was right… it is still warm."

The curator had descended down the steps. "Ah, Chat Noir. Right on time."

Somehow, her legs managed to stay steady… only slipping and slumping down to the floor after the clatter of heels and boots on the steps was punctuated with a final snick of the door above closing shut.

Tikki emerged from her hiding place only after it was all clear. "Marinette? Are you alright?"

Wearily, she lifted her hand to where his lips had lingered.

She was right, he had said.

The words spun through her mind on endless loop, as the mental pieces locked into place as sure as the luckiest of Charms...

She was right… it is still warm.

How her own words had haunted her nightmares for the better part of a year, an absurd role play that was meant to bolster her courage—only to tear it right down in the end.

Only now… it was all coming back as key pieces to a puzzle...

Her other hand drifted to the warmth burning into her cheeks, recognizing with startling clarity just who had kissed her cheek.

Just who had been at her side, all along.


	2. Moving Forward, Using All My Breath

Somehow… despite all of his uncannily sharp senses, Chat Noir managed not to notice her panic.

Marinette exhaled sharply, anxiously panicking and pacing through the various exhibits on the whole floor. She wasn't sure whether to call that luck or not...

She blushed fiercely every time she lapped past one of his statues… she could feel the desire to pace—her resolve to keep moving—ebb away.

She needed to talk to Tikki, but there was no telling if someone could be watching. She hadn't even thought about a probable security system the last time she was here with her friends. But this time, she had come all alone… and this conversation would be far safer in the solitude of her room.

Besides... there was no way that she and Tikki could leave now.

She would definitely have to wait until Chat Noir had safely let himself out. Otherwise he might puzzle out that she wasn't actually a wax statue.

* * *

It felt like hours that Marinette spent pacing the halls, and her muscles protested from the near endless abuse. But she'd spent most of that time mulling over the statues of Adrien and Chat Noir—a little more time than she'd care to admit. She kept mentally placing a mask over Adrien's face, staring up in undisguised wonder at the power of the Miraculous to keep them safe…

It was stunning to her just how seamless the magic truly was. For all that her powers and abilities needed close observation, she just wasn't able to see it before.

But now that she knew, she couldn't see anything else. Even the slightest detail of the sculptures—each one she'd been so sure she'd already committed to memory—they all blended together seamlessly. Everything she knew about him... every heartfelt conversation, every treasured magazine clipping... every ounce of it made a little too much sense. Forming a more perfect picture of him, and who he truly was. Pandora's box opened… but she still held onto hope in her heart.

With the glamour gone, so too was it's protection. Once she'd managed to put her fleeting panic aside, she stared up at Adrien's statue... all-too-aware that her new knowledge would put him and his family at risk.

But she hadn't dared to leave the museum before he was done… she didn't dare give herself away, not until she was sure she was ready.

Not until she knew how she was going to find the words to tell him that she knew… and how she knew exactly who he was.

Not until she was ready to even the scales...

* * *

Marinette's eyes shot open, heart racing as much as it ever did in the heat of battle. Her fists snagging quite a bit of the comforter.

Her gaze darted over at Tikki, still dozing peacefully on the corner of her bed.

Marinette dropped her head wearily back onto the pillow. Beads of sweat clustered on her forehead as she struggled to calm her breathing.

She stared over at the clock, mentally counting the handful of hours until school the next day.

Slamming her eyes shut, Marinette groaned. She had already tossed and turned for most of the night, and now going back to sleep felt pretty much impossible.

It was funny, she hadn't been trying to pull a prank. As sweet as her partner could oh-so-clearly be, she had just been hoping to get out without being noticed.

The Museum had already haunted her nightmares for months; her mind twisting and contorting—and worsening—the level of confident confession, while she was helpless to do little more than watch the catastrophic embarrassment pile up.

In one dream, she'd even confessed her secret identity… only for dream Adrien to tell her that while Ladybug was a possibility, Marinette was just a friend.

(And if she'd gone to school with red rimmed eyes the next day, even Tikki hadn't blamed her…)

She'd had plenty of Akuma-related nightmares that were less terrifying than this new reality.

Her recurring nightmare was now very much changed…

Marinette's fingers halted at the corner of her lips where her partner's had fallen.

This wasn't like the times that she and Chat had kissed before. The first time had only been to save him… and the second? Well, she had only been flustered by the depth of the feelings that she really couldn't return (or so she thought)...

After all, Chat Noir had confessed to her… but as Ladybug. He'd rather gently turned down Marinette. Not that she would have wanted it any other way.

Not before she knew what she knew now…

He was surprisingly stubborn… and sometimes bad at listening. But to be fair, at times, she wasn't all that great at listening and she was relentlessly stubborn. She'd told him over and over that she couldn't return his feelings. That it wouldn't have been fair to either of them. It wasn't like she'd wanted to hurt him.

But Chat Noir knew all her faults. And he still liked her anyways.

Yes, Adrien had gone on a date with Kagami, but only after she had turned him down repeatedly as Ladybug.

Marinette swiped to clear the moisture from her damp forehead.

Adrien had even called her their everyday Ladybug on their class picnic on Heroes' Day. Right before she'd stepped in it—quite literally—and truly kissed him. Not at all unlike how he had returned that affection just hours ago.

And that? Well, the parallel only proved that Chat—Adrien—could be far too observant, when he put his mind to it.

Sighing heavily, Marinette snagged her phone from the shelf behind her, the glow from the phone brightening up her cozy spot on her bed.

Tikki grumbled softly and turned away from the glare of too-early light.

Marinette smiled ruefully, as she pulled up the ridiculous photo Chat Noir had forwarded last night. The selfie she'd spied him taking between the two wax Ladybugs showed all three battle ready, with Chat smiling victoriously back at the camera.

She knew her partner wouldn't be able to resist sending the photo, she just hadn't anticipated a copy showing up in her personal text messages. Conveniently, Chat Noir had sent it to Marinette with a message. "Pawrdon the late text! Think they look happy to see me?"

Marinette grinned back at the photo and chuckled at the unrestrained mirth on his face as he hammed it up. Absently, her thumb dragged along the edge of his mask, figuratively smoothing down the rogue hair on one side. "Happier than even you know, Kitty…"


	3. You've seen the difference

Marinette had a plan. Or at least the start of one.

After a long night of puzzling over the picture he had sent to her, her head was full of little else.

Chat Noir might be smitten with his Bugaboo. But Adrien? Adrien had made it abundantly clear that Marinette was just a friend.

Tikki cuddled into her, knowing full well that this issue could keep Marinette up till all hours. Her kwami challenged her to think about how Chat Noir had interacted with Marinette, when he had his guard down.

Her mind cycled through all those fleeting moments; the way he'd looked at her had made her second guess whether or not she'd been transformed herself…

She'd fallen—eventually—into a hazy, dreamless sleep.

Although she was exhausted and running on fumes, she scrambled out of bed and into school the next day—15 whole minutes early!

(And if she had spent of few of those extra minutes dressing up a bit more than usual, maybe no one else would notice…)

She was on a mission to figure out just what to do with her newfound knowledge...

Marinette watched him, puzzling how to let him know that she'd discovered his secret… Or whether he was safer not knowing she'd figured him out.

Marinette knew all too well that it wasn't fair to him—wasn't safe for him—that she knew his identity and he wasn't aware. He wouldn't even know that his secret was compromised, and she could be a point of vulnerability.

Without the crush of an Akuma forcing her hand though, inspiration on how to solve this situation was far slower in coming.

* * *

It was almost through the first class of the day that her much needed inspiration finally struck.

The catalyst that started it hadn't exactly been purposeful.

Marinette had let the picture slip, unintentionally. She'd set it as wallpaper on her phone when she'd been staring at it for most of the night before.

She'd been so focused on getting to school after her horrid sleep that she kind of spaced out and forgot it wasn't her normal screen. Pondering as she looked at the picture of Chat with dual Ladybugs at home was much different than staring at it near her best friend.

And it was a big enough change for Alya to nearly freak out.

"Is that Chat Noir?" She whispered loudly, snatching Marinette's phone off their shared desk.

Marinette bit her lip, shaking her head at her friend with an imploring look. Warily, her eyes strayed over to Adrien who suddenly sunk down into his seat.

Blinking Alya calmed down, laying the phone back on the table.

"You've been holding out on me, girl!" She hissed, as softly as Alya could manage.

Adrien's attention was definitely piqued.

Marinette noticed, and strategically kept the conversation quiet.

"It's not like I want to be targeted for knowing Chat Noir, I just..." Marinette sighed, eyes straying to the blonde in front of her. "I want Chat Noir to have someplace neutral to go. He doesn't say much—nothing specific, anyways—but he wouldn't be spending extra time suited up if he wanted to go home…"

That fact alone begged a few too many questions she was trying not to think too hard about...

Adrien was watching… peering back at them in a very sneaky manner. The action was cat-like, now that she thought about it. He was angled towards the two of them, and not-so-subtly leaning… the tips of his ears burning bright red, in a way that was far too adorable to escape her notice.

Marinette pouted, crossing her arms over her chest. Curse him for being right; he was irresistible without the mask.

She could feel Alya's gaze as she observed him as overtly as possible. The more attention she could drag away from him, the better… she found it a little alarming how obvious it was to her now that she knew her crime fighting partner and Adrien were one and the same.

Thankfully, Marinette's pastime of Adrien-watching was nothing new, but still entertaining enough that Alya would focus on her best friend instead of the blond in front of them. Kept properly distracted, Alya would be content just watching Marinette watch him.

There was nothing new or surprising there.

No, it was Adrien who was full of surprises.

* * *

Alya had gathered them together to grab lunch at a tiny new cafe near her family's apartment. Adrien had even carefully negotiated an approval from his Father's stoic secretary to come along…

They had only just ordered their drinks in time for another Lunchtime Akuma to strike…

Hawkmoth had—without doubt—the world's worst sense of timing…

Luckily, he also had awful aim: it was Mr. Pigeon who took wing to bird strike yet again.

Marinette chuckled ruefully as she ducked away, and wove through several alleys in order to transform into Ladybug. She could practically hear Chat's purred puns, even before the battle had begun.

* * *

With only a few ruffled feathers, it was all over—in the span of barely a sneeze. Finding an opening to talk to him, Ladybug took the opportunity to pun.

"I swear… this Akuma really is for the birds."

Just the tiniest bit breathless, Chat Noir beamed, though he kept politely—surprisingly—distant.

He extended his fist, bumping it against hers as she'd raised it automatically out of habit.

"You alright, Kitty?" Ladybug's eyes narrowed, assessingly. "You didn't use your powers. There's hardly a need for you to rush right off..."

"You're right, of course…" Chat's smile—one of the rare, genuine ones that Adrien gave that usually set her heart racing—crept over her partner's lips. "And any other day, I would stay. But Hawkmoth just interrupted a meal with my friends…"

"Oh," she murmured, a little helplessly as she watched him wave and dash off, and she willed her heart to slow.

If her luck held out, she might have even half of her Ladybug composure to face him across the table...

* * *

When she'd ducked back into the restaurant, Alya was flashing her battle footage around the table.

She found it odd… just how comfortable around Adrien she actually felt now. It was like slipping on all the familiarity of her transformation. Sure, it lacked the solid protection she'd have around herself and her heart… but the confidence? It shone right through.

Through the noisy din of Alya's still-endless enthusiasm for Ladybug, she smiled warmly, injecting a pun into the conversation before she realized it. "Birds of a feather…?"

He was a bit stunned, for a fleeting moment, before he too subtly slipped into battle mode.

"You're right, of course." Adrien grinned, pressing his chin into his palm as he studied her thoughtfully. Then, the barest hints of Chat's mischief began to sneak through. "They are flocking together. But with these allergies, I'm glad I kept my distance."

* * *

Marinette frowned as she doodled in the margins of her notebook, anxious to keep her mind moving.

There was something about his behavior that she just couldn't place. Chat Noir was still friendly… but seemed to be more politely distant with Ladybug. Meanwhile, as Adrien, he'd been even more friendly with Marinette than usual.

The extra attention would have left her floundering before.

She could feel his eyes throughout the day—he kept watching her. Subtly. Surreptitiously.

Alya simply snickered at her side any time she caught Marinette peering up in his direction.

It was convenient to let her best friend misunderstand the fleeting glances. She almost felt a little guilty though, because it wasn't really like that. Not anymore.

She was seeing with eyes unclouded. She didn't just think Adrien was perfect. She knew that he was… he was already her perfect partner. He'd proven it, day in and day out.

She already had endless affection for her partner. She hated to see him hurt, and she inwardly cringed as she thought about all the times she'd been the one to actually hurt him; every time that she'd pushed him away, in favor of himself.

To be fair though, she hadn't known. Nobody really could have…

Except their Kwami…

Fighting Dark Owl meant that Tikki definitely knew who her partner was, and she hadn't exactly told her to hide her feelings for Adrien. In fact, she'd encouraged Marinette to confess, time and time again.

Marinette could have been a lot more confident and assured (and maybe even managed to confess) if she'd realized just how well she truly knew him…

What's more, she knew Alya would agree entirely… if only she could know who was behind the masks.

And maybe someday she would.

But if Alix's future presence a few weeks back was any hint of things to come, that wouldn't be anytime soon.

"Marinette!" Madame Mendeliev called on her.

He turned around… clearly worried. Adrien's too-green eyes were a bit panicked as he mouthed the answer to the question their teacher was expecting an answer for.

Marinette turned to the teacher, mimicking his response. Madame Mendeliev's eyes narrowed but she carried on with the lesson.

But again, Adrien was gazed intently back at her, his brows furrowed as he puzzled her odd reaction with all the feline grace—and curiosity—of his more super-heroic self.

Her soft smile, the one she usually unleashed behind her mask when he turned away crept onto her lips.

"I'm okay," Marinette mouthed, careful to reassure him.

And this time, she was.


	4. There's Nothing You and I Won't Do

Marinette ducked into her house only a few minutes after leaving school. She grabbed a quick bite to eat before hurriedly scrambling back up and out of her room in a pink haze of transformation.

Ladybug swung off her balcony, on an impromptu solo patrol. Planning under a crunch came much more naturally as her superhero persona.

She needed the rush of cool air to bring her mind into focus, and to have some sort of plan of attack at the ready.

While she knew their discussion had to happen soon, she still wasn't fully ready to confront Adrien as Chat—not yet, at least. Out of an abundance of caution, she took the path as far away from his house as she could.

There was still a rogue part of her that wondered just how he'd react once he knew it was Marinette beside him all along, when he'd been so adamant she was 'just a friend'. What if his feelings for her were purely platonic… even after the masks were gone?

Granted, she had hope, especially with the way he'd been acting lately...

Chat had seemed thrilled with her panicked confession, even as he'd turned her down about as gently as he could—for her alter ego. Not that her own father had handled that well.

Chat Noir's candor had been reassuring in that moment. It proved to her that Chat wasn't as fickle as she'd feared…

But now, it only increased that gnawing sense of fear that he just wasn't interested in Marinette…

Maybe Adrien just didn't understand she was actually interested in him, too?

Which, upon reflection, was entirely possible.

"No, kitty!"

Ladybug blinked. The high pitched cry had broken through her messy thoughts, pulling her attention to a little girl in pigtails who was desperate to rescue her kitten from a tree.

Ladybug landed beside the tiny grey kitten, gently cradling him in her arms before slowly winding her yo-yo back down to solid ground. The small cat lifted a little claw up to try to snag the unravelling yo-yo string as they descended.

She cuddled the tiny, grey kitten tight, confusion clear in its yellow-green eyes before it happily mewled when tucked into the little girl's waiting arms.

That sort of rescue was usually more of The Owl's realm of expertise anymore… but it landed a bit too close to home.

With a slight smile, Ladybug swung back up to the rooftops, running and swinging as fast as her form could carry her.

She might have finally wrapped her head around every angle of her odd predicament with Adrien, but that long history with him as Chat Noir only meant she understood him that much more.

Ladybug gasped as she narrowly dodged a large building—shifting a split second later than she'd intended, and giving herself far too close a call for comfort.

She halted on the expanse of the next rooftop to collect herself and contemplated exactly how she would break the news to him.

Chat—Adrien—wouldn't understand why she hadn't told him right away since, really, this was important. He'd already shared his philosophy with her that because something was important, it was important to say... and he'd always been way more open with his own feelings. He always wore his heart on his sleeve where Ladybug was concerned, so she was sure he wouldn't understand why she hesitated.

Honestly though, she'd just been so scared of being rejected—after more than a few close calls—shrugging off her own interest for fear of looking weird in his eyes. Like after Jagged's stint on that reality show… and when Manon had been akumatized a second time into Puppeteer when she was so sure that the girl he'd been talking about—the girl he loved—was Kagami.

When she'd finally managed to write her true feelings down, her plan had gone awry and the note never made it to him…

If only she'd known what a dork Adrien truly was underneath it all, it might have been easier for her to try; the personal stakes wouldn't have been as high, and her heart would've been a little less guarded.

Chat Noir's ridiculous, irreverent sense of humor wasn't exactly a deterrent now, especially outside of battle. But knowing Adrien had that silly side definitely would have set her more at ease in dealing with him… considering she had technically been doing so all along.

She knew he couldn't be immune to the sting of rejection. He'd already been struggling with that from his father. She'd seen the signs of it, all too often. It was part of why she'd initially spent so much extra effort in making him that scarf.

And why she'd been quite so willing to let Adrien believe the lie about that scarf that he needed to believe.

But now? Now she knew so much more.

Ladybug wrapped her arms around herself as her eyes darted from familiar rooftop to familiar rooftop.

Chat Noir—and therefore Adrien—was affected by words. He so clearly valued them, above all. He needed those affirmations, whereas she had put much more stock and value in actions.

That was why when he'd handed over his umbrella without hesitation, she'd handed over her heart. His words were lovely, of course, and they'd helped her understand where he was coming from… and who he was.

But the action? That simple, selfless act just proved the quality of his character, and had struck her to the core.

Unfortunately, it had only served to effectively blind her to those very same virtues he showed as her punning partner, where he'd been able to hide that honesty behind a litany of jokes and a silver tongue.

Ladybug felt the pieces start to snap into place in her mind. It was suddenly—startlingly—clear that she needed to meet him in the middle.

She'd given him the charm (and the scarf… and the valentine, though she hadn't signed it…). The cookies… the dance. Her help with Kagami…

But he'd only seen it all as friendship.

She needed to figure out just how to get those few important words out... to get her feelings through to him, somehow.

* * *

Once she was back in the relative safety of her own room, she transformed back and flopped into her seat, grabbing a sketchbook as she settled. Her phone immediately vibrated with the chime of Alya calling… and when she looked down at it, the screen showed notifications of a few missed calls prior.

"Finally!" Alya chirped as her face showed up on screen. "Where were you, girl?"

"Helping out my Dad," Marinette smiled. "I just left my phone upstairs."

Alya nodded, swiftly pressing a few buttons. "So, we were firming up plans to attend the Museum. I wanted to bring Nino's video camera and capture some footage for the Ladyblog."

"We?" Marinette's brows rose.

Adrien simply waved as he appeared in the background of the video call, and Nino shouted a greeting. She could hear the faint sounds of Alya's voice narrating the battle from earlier. Adrien returned his attention to the battle footage Alya was making him and Nino review, clearly trying to look guileless and surprised by the details of the fight.

And in that moment, she had an epiphany, zoning out of the soft banter between her friends on the other end of the line.

Marinette's eyes slipped down to her sketchbook, and she flipped to the end, gazing down at the single red rose that sat dried and nestled safely there.

The very same rose that Chat Noir had given her the night he'd set up his own nighttime balcony date for the two of them.

That had only proven he was a sucker for grand gestures.

All the little things she'd done? They had all just flown right over his head. After all of this—after all the time they'd spent so in sync—it was clear that they weren't even 'speaking' the same language.

He'd been flummoxed that night, when Marinette had managed to tell him that she'd gotten her heart broken, too. She nibbled her lip, blushing at the memory of Chat gently scooping her up, just so she could see all the evidence of his sincerity in action.

Yes, he could be serious when it counted. And, in retrospect, the break from his usual day to day seriousness had to be a welcome relief…

She had to show him that actions can speak louder than words. She just needed to figure out the how…

Or more appropriately… the when?

Courage would always probably come easier… but those words were still going to be the hardest to say.

(And not just because he would be impawsible to deal with when he found out he was right…)

She just needed to give him enough of a hint… and maybe a little taste of how crazy he was driving her.

"Marinette?"

She blinked, realizing she'd been caught staring off camera at her floral momento. "Huh?"

"You're spacing out on us."

"Yeah… sorry. I was thinking about a design." Marinette blushed when she found all three sets of eyes focused on her.

"Are you with us?" Alya re-iterated.

"For what exactly?"

Alya arched a brow. "For the Grévin Museum opening up the new hero wing on Friday evening…" Her grin widened. "We're all going to go…"

Marinette's eyes darted about, landing on each of theirs in turn… and lingered on Adrien's.

"I'm not sure, Alya…" She murmured, a rueful smile crossing her lips. "I might have other plans that night."

* * *

It wasn't unusual anymore for Chat Noir to drop in to play games and burn time, and tonight was much the same. Now, everything made a startling sort of sense.

She nibbled at her lip, darting a reckless glance at that pressed rose still visible on the corner of her desk... weighing her options carefully before she tossed him his favorite controller.

After Chat Noir had been a little more forthcoming about how lonely he was at home, Marinette made it her personal mission to ensure that he felt safe here.

Now that she knew it was Adrien? It was all that much clearer why Chat Noir was so ready and reckless to don the mask. He needed to get away from all the tenseness—all the loneliness—at home.

Despite how frequently he'd been visiting, he tended to be far more careful about hovering too close.

But today? She'd clearly made him worry—at least, if the way he cuddled up at her side was any indication.

Even though she knew his proximity was more for comfort than any real romantic interest, Marinette couldn't fight the instinct to blush—or the mostly unbidden thoughts that stole her attention. No matter how hard she tried.

It was Chat Noir who had that large, empty room to return home to each night.

It was Adrien with no concept of personal space, cuddling against her at the desk, punning and trash talking with as much ease as he ever had in battle or patrol.

It was Chat Noir who felt awkward and ill at ease, but had oh-so-easily destroyed the carefully built walls to guard her heart against the bullying she'd long endured.

It was Adrien who was the first to be attacked by Style Queen. He hadn't let Ladybug down; he hadn't even had the chance. And Plagg knew—the tiny scoundrel—but had lied about Chat losing his Miraculous. And she'd believed him! Of course, Tikki hadn't lied, even if she didn't always tell the whole truth.

So while he watched the game with keen focus—and the tip of his tongue peeking out from behind his lips? Marinette began planning.

Their miscommunication—and masks—was the root cause for this jumble of emotions and unrequited love. Not to mention the endless doubts that anything might ever come of her hopeless crush, no matter what Tikki might've told her.

But both of them had technically been on the same page, right from the start. This was already a relationship she valued above all others. The heartache was worth it.

Even if it meant that their time together was doomed to be endlessly platonic.

And, even when it left her distracted enough now that Chat Noir managed to get in a cheap shot.

It was Adrien who was joyous when he'd gotten in a good K.O. (due to her notable distraction)... who stuffed an entire croissant into his mouth and promptly fangirled about the buttery, flaky crust.

It was Adrien who grinned merrily, smack talking when she'd threatened vengeance.

Marinette smirked as she settled in to smack him right back down. He was expecting vengeance tonight… but her poor Chaton wasn't going to expect what was yet to come.


	5. The Future's Open Wide

When he entered the Museum and saw the size of the crowds, Adrien was half sure he'd made a mistake in coming.

The Museum was already overrun with people, celebrating the grand opening for the new Superhero exhibit.

After all the years inside his room or inside the house, friends and freedom was a luxury that never seemed to grow old.

But being a model—and superhero—often meant his space was invaded, or he was touched without permission. That freedom always came at a price.

He just wanted to be a normal kid. To do normal things with his friends.

Well, as normal as Hawkmoth ever allowed them to be anyways.

Much though he did love Ladybug, being with her usually meant a seemingly endless stream of Akuma attacks and threats from all directions. Patrols didn't happen too often; only when homework and projects weren't an issue. He craved more calm time away with her... the same way he wanted it with his friends.

Hoping to avoid notice, Adrien ducked his head, dogging his friends' footsteps as he hauled some of Nino's prized audio-visual equipment through the crowd. The Gorilla lurched behind them, a concession to his father's stern insistence.

Weirdly, Nino just grinned before slipping Adrien's hulking guard a package. His brows arched in surprise as the Gorilla ambled back to the car without more than the slightest grumbling.

* * *

Within a few quick minutes, Nino had his equipment set up, taking care to add a bit of extra lighting to get a decent quality shot in the dimly lit halls.

Nino and Alya seemed to both be super enthused, specifically about the addition of the new Rena and Carapace statues rather than the whole set…

They were flirting, and bantering about who was the better hero among the support Miraculous.

"It has to be Carapace, of course…" Alya smirked, ruthlessly. "His Shelter can protect all of them…"

Nino chuckled, working on adjusting the lens focus. "I dunno, babe. I mean, Rena Rouge is awfully clever. And we've seen just how strong Mirage can actually be…"

Alya bumped her shoulder into his.

Adrien smiled, awkwardly ruffling the hair at the nape of his neck as he ducked away from their public display of affection.

Happy as he was to be outside of the house with friends, it was quickly becoming obvious to Adrien that he was very much the third wheel. A far too well-known third wheel.

Luckily, he'd been in here often enough as Chat Noir to have a sense of all the little closets and alcoves to duck away into if he needed a breather from the crowd.

His phone marred the neat Gabriel-approved lines of his jeans, where it was burning a hole in his pocket; his fingers were twitching to use it.

Adrien frowned, a bit distracted. It really was a pity that Marinette couldn't make it. But if she did have to babysit Manon again…Well, mark it as a positive that she did stay home. Especially considering this crowd…

He shuffled aimlessly around the remaining exhibits, now a fair distance from where Nino and Alya were working on their segment for the Ladyblog.

He was nearly finished wandering through the entire museum when he came across Marinette's statue. She was beaming sweetly in her space directly next to Jagged Stone, and his pet Fang.

The color of her pigtails was at least a half shade off, and the seemingly older set of clothes didn't fit the wax model nearly so well as they did on her usual form.

He didn't spend several of his formative years modelling not to notice the way things were supposed to sit. And, he'd noticed that Marinette tended to be very neat and particular with her style.

Nonetheless, they'd definitely captured her infectious grin, and the sassy little victory sign was a nice touch.

It was purrfect for an impromptu selfie... especially since he had forgotten to do so with Marinette's statue last time.

On the plus side, he could send it to Marinette… so she wouldn't entirely miss out.

Beaming, he sidled up beside her wax figure. He ever-so-gently placed his hand on her shoulder before holding his phone away from himself in an expert manner, and pressed a button on the side.

He looked over the picture, mostly satisfied. Half of him wished he could mirror her victory pose. But that wouldn't work without asking someone else to snag the picture for him. And with Nino and Alya so occupied… that only left a bunch of strangers who would probably recognize him and might ask for more favors in return.

He composed a message to her with the selfie and a small caption, and pressed send. "Saw this and thought of you…"

Three little dots heralded the fact she had seen his response, though the answer lingered in limbo for a while.

Marinette usually sent a quick response. Sometimes a little too quickly, to be honest. It was obvious to him that she must be juggling multiple tasks in between her occasionally distracted designing.

While he waited, Adrien leaned against the curtained wall, phone in hand as he tried to hide away in plain sight.

Several groups consisting mostly of girls his age had walked past, rowdy and giggling but only a few had pointed him out in hushed whispers. His phone finally chimed with her reply.

**Marinette:** *grin emoji* "Gosh! It's like I'm actually right there… next to you."

He could practically hear her giggle at that.

Adrien's smile grew sad… as reality only sank in that much harder..

Adrien: "Not exactly, anyways…"

The three dots stared back at him for about thirty seconds.

**Marinette: **"Are you okay?"

Adrien puzzled what to say at that. Technically, he was okay. Maybe a little bored, and a little lonely. But what else was new...

**Marinette: **"Did Alya and Nino abandon you for their endless flirting?" ;)

**Adrien:** "Maybe…"

Adrien sighed, shaking his head fondly. He exhaled sharply, a wistful feeling coming over him.

**Adrien:** "You're sure you can't make it in…? Maybe your Mom could watch Manon for a bit..."

**Marinette:** "Manon?"

**Marinette:** "Well, she has kept me busy… but I'm not sure I can get away from what I'm doing right now"

Adrien winced, reminding himself that having her bring Manon along hadn't gone well last time. At least then, there weren't as many people around to potentially hurt.

Which wasn't exactly fair to the little girl, perhaps. He knew just how tough it was to be left alone...

**Adrien:** "Ah well. I guess I'll see you Monday, then?"

**Marinette:** ;)

Not for the first time, Adrien was puzzled by her reaction. Maybe she really was just busy, chasing Manon wherever it was she was watching her. But it wasn't exactly like Marinette not to say goodbye, even when she did leave an emoji. Not by text at least...

He kind of wished he could talk to Plagg about it, but that would involve finding more than a tiny amount of privacy in this crowd. He already had enough eyes on him just because of the work his father had him doing.

Adrien peered around, looking for a en empty closet… or even just a quiet corner where he could get away from endlessly prying eyes..

He wound his way around, politely dodging a few more intrepid/less sneaky fans after a quick picture.

But it was spotting something he hadn't expected that had stopped his flight in its tracks.

Adrien blinked, more than a little dumbfounded as he shuffled into the final room, pocketing his phone once more.

He knew that he had Ladybug on the brain; that was almost always the case. He just didn't expect to spot another one.

Since Chat Noir and Ladybug were to appear as a pair, the artist had asked him to pose with her completed statue for a while; he'd wanted to capture Chat's battle-ready pose with as much accuracy as possible. Needless to say, he'd spent hours growing more and more familiar with the pose of the new Ladybug in the installation.

Baffled, Adrien back pedaled… they were supposed to have decommissioned the others, so there should have only been one.

He rushed back to check in the room where Nino was actively filming. Adrien could see the newest Ladybug back in the room with Nino and Alya. Right at Chat Noir's side.

Right where she ought to be...

Eyes wide, he strode back into the last room, where he saw her standing… eyes trained on his, and following him.

Shocked, Adrien halted in place despite the jostling of the crowd. He tilted his head, unsure just what to make of it.

Was this an Akuma? They were right next to the the Akuma's room after all—stranger things had happened.

Resolute, he stalked recklessly towards this other Ladybug, racing across the room as fast at the crowd would allow.

But not fast enough.

Not before Ladybug winked.

Adrien's eyes widened, stunned as his steps slowed and faltered. "What on Earth?" he breathed. His fingernails bit into the phone that was once more in his hand.

This new Ladybug grinned, clearly amused by his surprise. She wasted not one moment; with rapid efficiency (and equally impressive aim) she shot out her yoyo… striking only the panel to turn off the lights.

It plunged the room into full darkness. Only the light from the adjacent rooms crept in through the periphery of the doorways.

There were startled gasps and a few screams as panic hit, and people flooded out of the room.

On a mix of instinct and adrenaline, Adrien moved, ducking into an alcove broom closet to call on his transformation.

With his night vision, he found the switches once again to bring the lights back up. But thankfully, outside of the initial panic, there were no more terrified screams or signs of alarm.

So… this probably wasn't an Akuma… unless there were patrons turned into statues or wax figures too.

He taxed his mind, looking for another subtle difference that he could be missing...

Chat blinked. Nope… that puzzling Ladybug he saw… she was just gone. Nobody else seemed like they'd noticed anything out of the ordinary, or even that there had just been a Ladybug statue that was now missing. Then again, nobody had been with him, watching as it happened.

He'd found Alya and Nino, still lingering beside the statues of Rena Rouge and Carapace as he rushed into the room. "Did either of you just see that?"

"Chat Noir! What're you doing here?" Alya blinked. "And… see what?"

Nino frowned, replacing the camera lens. "We just wrapped up filming."

"You didn't see the lights go out in the next room over?" Chat continued without directly answering her other question.

Alya quirked her lips, darting a glance over to Nino, who was a little occupied with safely stowing his camera as he spoke to Chat. "I mean… I did hear some commotion from the next room, but by the time Alya had finished, everything seemed fine. I guess that would explain why this room is a little more crowded than it was..."

Chat stalked over to check the Ladybug who stood beside his wax double, nostrils flaring with the overpowering scent of wax.

Motionless, and unflinching. Delicately, he pressed the back of a claw again "skin" and found it didn't have any give.

The previous versions of their wax statues were nowhere to be seen. Had they been taken into storage?

Nino peered around. "You didn't see Adrien did you?"

Chat Noir blinked guilelessly. "That famous kid? I think I saw him rushing outside?"

Wearily, Nino sighed. "I guess that would make sense. His old man is a little ridiculous about guarding his precious business asset from any kind of harm…"

Alya frowned. "I'm not seeing any sign of an Akuma popping up from any of the Ladyblog's usual sources…"

Chat Noir sighed. Alya would have heard if any Akuma was out… including Volpina; weird illusions were on the high-alert list after Heroes Day last year.

"Nothing of Ladybug either?" He turned his gaze from the statue he'd been inspecting to ask.

Alya shook her head. "No Ladybug sighting—outside of this Museum at least—but that's to be expected with the exhibit's opening…"

"I'm still not entirely sure that everything is as it seems in the Museum. Not yet, at least…" Chat Noir's claws rapped along his baton as he spun on his heel. "If you see or hear anything odd, could you send me a message?"

Nino nodded. "Sure thing."

Alya's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "One thing before you go."

Chat's eyes widened in silent question.

"How did you get here so fast?"

Chat Noir winked. "You know I'll take any excuse I can to see my Lady…"

Alya snorted at his antics as Chat darted off out of sight…

Or at least back safely out of their view and into that empty little broom closet.

It was only after Chat Noir had safely slipped into the closet and let the door snick closed that he let his connection to Plagg spiral free.

Cameras were out all around from tourists and braver locals alike, and they took the opportunity to snap some pictures of him as he had maneuvered away. Not anything new, exactly. Being Adrien Agreste was bad enough…

He was drawing a little too much attention as Chat Noir, and was barely able to get away to de-transform.

But even as Adrien, he was too recognizable… too drawn into crowds demanding autographs...

At least he had a hoodie he'd snagged from the box marked Lost and Found. He could return it to there once he'd understood what was going on.

He slipped out of the tiny room as nonchalantly as he could.

Whoever this Ladybug clone was, she was clearly messing with him. He'd only broken gaze on her for a moment, but that was enough for her to sneak out of sight.

She couldn't have gotten far, though… not without someone noticing.

With as precise as she'd been with that yo-yo, Adrien was almost certain she was the real deal. Then he was sure it was her—it had to be. Especially if there wasn't an Akuma in the mix.

If it wasn't an Akuma… what was it? It was too small to be a Sentimonster.

Anxious now, Adrien's gaze roamed each gallery in sequence, to see if he could find another Ladybug hiding in plain sight.

...but as he'd thought, the second one had disappeared entirely. There wasn't even a telltale flash of red anywhere among the Akuma Rogue's Gallery.

Shaking his head, he checked again. There had to be something… some hint he was missing.

Ladybug was counting on him after all.

One more rapid loop around the museum proved that not even a hint of scarlet—that he hadn't expected to see—had lingered.

The panic of the crowd might have ebbed away, but there were definitely far fewer people than had been there before. Some had definitely fled—could they have also seen her statue too? The prospect of statues moving on their own would definitely be a little much for some...

But Adrien? His sense of panic had yet to abate. He tried to mentally catalog what he was seeing, hoping his focus would reign in the anxiousness.

There was Jagged. And himself. Nadja Chamack. Aurore. Marinette. The Mayor and Audrey Bourgeois.

Clara Nightingale. Bob Roth and XY.

Marinette. Philippe Candeloro. That director he'd worked with...

Adrien blinked… peering cautiously over his shoulder.

"Did you just see…?" He whispered to Plagg..

He didn't say Marinette's name… he didn't dare. Surely, he was going crazy.

Plagg was just amused at his panic, hovering in the shadows of his hoodie pocket. "I didn't notice anything…"

Adrien frowned. Alya and Nino were watching for alerts… they'd promised Chat Noir after all. Plagg would let him know if he got a message.

Adrien shook his head, tugging down his hood as he sprinted through the exhibit.

A guard cried out. "No running!"

That was the only thing that had remotely slowed him down.

But it was Marinette he was seeing, over and over again.

He rubbed his eyes before rushing back around the exhibits.

There was one… solidly there, right beside Jagged Stone.

Slipping his phone back out of his pocket, he pulled the selfie back up, matching the image he'd captured of statue with the clothes that don't fall just right. The one with Marinette's sweet expression and the victory sign.

His eyes slipped up, matching the glassy eyes blue as his fingers flew automatically over the keys to fire off a message to Marinette. "Are you still busy at home?"

She answered quickly. "I'm still busy, yes."

Adrien's head shot up, peering suspiciously back towards the other room, where his own statue—the one he'd spent hours on end posing for—stood.

Marinette—the other one—was waiting beside Adrien's wax double.

She was holding his hand… his ring hand… with an impish smile on her face; one that looked all too familiar, though his brain was stumbling to place just where else he'd seen it.

Suddenly, his mind began putting the pieces together. He glanced down at his phone, checking back through his messages...

"Well, she has kept me busy..." He blinked, as he scrolled over the words.

Marinette had claimed to be busy… But he had assumed she was babysitting. She never exactly answered on that particular point.

He knew that kind of lying all too well...

And Marinette had appeared only after Ladybug had disappeared…

He'd written her off as Ladybug long ago—he'd seen her beside Ladybug. But then… there had been another Ladybug there too. His partner had always been reluctant to delve into any of the details with that particular Akuma…

Now, he knew that Alix's watch had actually been a Miraculous… one that granted time traveling powers…

Had Ladybug actually managed to skip through time and save them all twice over?

He had even called Marinette their everyday Ladybug. Maybe that had been a little more on the nose than he had figured.

Adrien exhaled the breath he hadn't even realized he'd been holding back when he found himself standing in front of her. He was just about to turn, to check the other statue again when he saw her eyes blink…

He hauled back, gently pressing the palm of his hand against her shoulder. Testing it.

She was stock still, utterly immobile.

But she also was warm...

Impulsively, Adrien hugged her, rocking her a little off balance.

And she practically melted, warmth and wonder filling his arms.

"Marinette?" Adrien pulled back, just enough to see her face. Just enough to reassure himself that all of this was truly real. "Is it really you this time?"

Grinning, she hugged him back, rising up on her tiptoes. Whispering into his ear… "What do you think, Chaton?"

He's baffled, and all the more worried that Marinette has now put herself at risk. Did she really want him to figure her out, after so long of keeping even the slightest hint of who was hiding behind Ladybug's mask under wraps?

The rush of butterflies that filled his belly on her behalf only served as a sobering reminder. Hawkmoth was still out there… never letting them rest for long.

"It's funny, you know." She smirked, tapping her fingers against his doubles waxen hand. "They really didn't get one detail just right…"

She pointedly tapped at his ring finger…

Adrien's eyes flew wide, gaping at her in astonishment.

His eyes searched hers, relishing the warmth and humor in her clever blue eyes. But it was the compelling mix of confidence and quiet concern that drew him in, warring much as it had even from that first day...on either side of her mask.

Wrapping his arms around Marinette again, he tugged her up into a tightest hug he could manage. Tighter still than he had when she'd rescued herself from Dino-Animan's maw, when he was so sure he'd lost her before. He didn't even care about the crowd he was certain had gathered from the not-so-hushed murmurs that filled his ears. He could worry about that later. After she'd purrsuaded him to let her go...

"Oof." She murmured, the exclamation spilling from her lips to brush just beside his rapidly warming ears.

Adrien grinned, gently relaxing his grip a little. But he didn't dare to pull away from her...not even a centimeter.

It had been incredibly difficult to abide by Ladybug's wishes. To let go of that handle and walk away, when all he'd ever wanted was to hold her close. He'd never dreamed he'd been finding her, little by little, all along.

"I think I really am in heaven…"


End file.
